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ATUG award praises NewSat in innovative satellite farming solution

15 March, 2007 12:21

<p>New satellite deal saves water, improves productivity</p><p>ATUG, the peak user group body in the telecommunications sector, has recognised the contribution of NewSat Limited (ASX:NWT), Australia’s leading independent satellite services provider, to improving the use of broadband technology, this time for its new applications and improvements in the efficiency and productivity of Australian farming.</p><p>At an awards ceremony last week in Sydney NewSat was the only corporation honoured in the comms business which offered a solution focussed specifically on delivering enhanced services to remote Australia, “the bush”.</p><p>The awards were sponsored by the Australian Government, Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts on the same day as the Department Minister, Senator the Hon Helen Coonan announced $162.5 million for the filling of broadband blackspots across the nation.</p><p>“NewSat is always committed to providing two way broadband internet connection to the bush through its systems based around its own earth stations, teleports, located in Adelaide and Perth,” said Mr Mike Kenneally, General Manager –Sales, for NewSat.</p><p>“We will not only actively support these sorts of initiatives of the government but will continue to press the boundaries of broadband technology as shown by the ATUG awards.</p><p>“NewSat has teamed with a range of partners on this project including Victorian State Government Department of Sustainability and Environment through its Spatial Information Infrastructure unit and will be releasing further landmark news on the development of the technology next month..“Before the introduction of new precision Controlled Traffic Farming Australian farmers had been unable to precisely manage their crops resulting in damaged crops, overlapping and underlapping spraying of crops, wasting fertiliser, fuel and water, and compacting the soil with heavy farm machinery tracks which further reduces the yield and most importantly in times of drought, further impedes water retention and efficiency,” said Mr Kenneally.</p><p>“Big problem? You bet, with more than a million hectares across Australia under some form of controlled traffic farming even previous systems of the process (prior to this NewSat broadband solution via satellite) are not delivering optimal performance.</p><p>“With millions more hectares not under these techniques they are missing out completely on the benefits. The gap between peak CTF performance as evidenced by our new system and the previous one, and none at all, is tens of millions of dollars of yield and wasted water resource annually.</p><p>“Many farmers traditionally have driven their farm equipment where their fathers did, had paddock fences where it suited outmoded forms of agricultural practice, and accepted the losses to crops from machinery damage and inaccuracies. A lot haven’t even considered soil compaction as a water waste hazard.</p><p>“But it is now widely accepted that the reduction in heavy duty machinery traversing the paddocks is a major saver for soil compaction and with that comes the water retention and efficiency benefits.</p><p>“In a time of drought, and recognition of the importance of sustainability of resources generally, this aspect of precision farming is critical to its enhancement, delivering up to 15% improvement according to some researchers, for farming outcomes,” he said.</p><p>Copy ends</p><p>About NewSat (www.newsat.com)NewSat Limited (ASX: NWT) is a publicly listed company whose reliability,high quality and efficient services have helped it become one of the world’s fastest growing satellite communications service providers. In addition to hosting and distributing internet services, NewSat is able to provide network solutions for awide range of private, commercial and government users.</p><p>NewSat provides a full range of managed communication services, TT&amp;C andcarrier monitoring from its teleports in Perth , Adelaide to Australia/Oceania, Asia, the Middle East and Africa</p><p>In addition, NewSat operates multiple Broadband IP Services based on technologies developed by ViaSat, Gilat, Hughes, Comtech and iDirect.</p><p>For further information please contact:</p><p>News Centre at NewSat: 61 3 9674 4644 or by email at news@newsat.comorMike Kenneally General Manager - Sales, NewSat 61 3 9674 4644, or by e-mail at mike.kenneally@newsat.com</p>

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